DICKSON CITY — State Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Saturday, recalling the discrimination Irish immigrants faced when they came to the United States, blasted the prejudice that exists today.
(read more)

Car insurance rates are at an all-time high nationwide and rates are rising fast in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton area, according to a recent study by The Zebra, a car insurance comparison marketplace.
(read more)

Article Tools

HARRISBURG - State Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane vowed Monday to doggedly pursue public corruption as proceedings in the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission bid-rigging case began in a nearby courtroom.

"The Turnpike is no longer a piggybank used to fund greed and promote corruption," said Ms. Kane of Waverly Twp., referring to the preliminary hearing in the Dauphin County Courthouse for former Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow and five others who face Turnpike-related corruption charges.

"If you threaten the integrity of our government, if you steal from taxpayers, we will pursue you," she said.

Asked if any more individuals will be charged in what's called an ongoing Turnpike investigation, Ms. Kane responded, "We are always watching. We are always looking when we get tips."

Nearing her six-month anniversary in office, Ms. Kane addressed other topics ranging from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case to her plans to deploy a mobile street unit to fight neighborhood crime during a speech before the Pennsylvania Press Club in a downtown hotel.

Ms. Kane emphasized the importance of obtaining funding in the next state budget to deploy the mobile street unit. She seeks $3 million as a first-year appropriation and wants to deploy the unit first in Hazleton.

"Small communities, this one's for you," said Ms. Kane. "I want to bring you the additional personnel, expertise and resources needed to dismantle drug and street gangs and other dangerous organizations that pose a threat to public safety."

The plans involve state agents teaming up with local law enforcement officers and having agreements of cooperation with federal agencies to a provide rapid response to communities battling a drug and gang epidemic, said Ms. Kane.

The attorney general said her review of the handling of the state investigation that eventually led to the conviction of Mr. Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach, proceeds at a good pace. Ms. Kane said she is pleased with the cooperation she is receiving.

The review focuses on why it took nearly three years to bring charges against Mr. Sandusky since then-attorney general and current Gov. Tom Corbett launched the investigation.

Ms. Kane promised to release all the review's findings to the public, but gave no timetable.

"Pennsylvanians deserve the entire story," she said.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.